chasing draco meteors
by Ju5t An0th3r H3d63h06
Summary: Hugh and Rosa watch the stars together. —or, the gradual healing of two almost-broken souls. postgame, sequel, oneshot.


**a/n: The Mudkip is ba-ack!~ With oneshots for days, like I promised. :)**

**To all of the lovely reviewers and PMers that flooded my inbox while I was away: Thank you so much! You guys really are lovely, and you made my two weeks even though I was kind of having an existential crisis. I will reply to each and every one of you when I get the chance, but I can assure you that if you reviewed a story or sent me a PM (or faved or followed because that is wonderful too,) it has not gone neglected or unnoticed. You guys are epic-tastic! *gives out free hugs***

**Disclaimer: With a textwall-ish a/n like that? I think not. :/ (ok fine the Mudkip owns NOTHING.)**

* * *

Thunk.

Thunk.

Thunk.

* * *

The distinct sound of rocks hitting his second-floor bedroom window rouses Hugh Noir from a tormented sleep. He groans, stifling a yawn, and untangles himself from his accidental bedsheet cocoon.

Thunk.

Thunk.

Sleepy and annoyed, the cobalt-haired teen checks the time on the digital clock resting on his nightstand. The luminescent green numbers cheerfully blink 1:14 back at him.

Thunk.

Hugh rubs the sleep out of his crimson eyes, glaring as he wrenched open the window. "Who the fu-"

"Hugh! Thank Arceus, I was beginning to run out of Skittles."

"Skittles...?" The teenage Trainer glances down.

His best friend in all of Unova is waving wildly up at his window with one hand, brandishing a package of the rainbow candies. Her grin is visible even through the inky darkness.

Hugh puts a hand to his face. "Rosa Blanc, why in the name of Cobalion's freaking sword are you throwing candy at my window at one in the morning?" Catching sight of Rosa's Batman pajamas, he adds, "And what are you doing out here without a coat? It's freezing!"

"Details, details, who gives a damn." Rosa waves a hand in the air, dismissing his questions. "Just get down here, there's something I want to show you."

"At_ one in the morning?_" demands Hugh incredulously.

"Yes, at one in the morning," replies his best friend in a manner one would use when talking to a small child. "Hurry up! And don't bother changing, you'll miss it!"

"Fine, you win. Sheesh..." Hugh scowls at the cinnamon-haired girl and retreats from the window, tiptoeing past his mother's and little sister's respective bedrooms before rushing down the stairs. He slips on a pair of red-and-black Converse and grabs his jacket from the coat rack as he dashes out of the house.

* * *

Outside, Rosa is bouncing on the balls of her feet. "You're so sloooow, Qwilfish Head!"

Hugh scowls as he slips his windbreaker over his Batman pajamas, similar to Rosa's. "Do tell, where the actual hell are we going at one in the-"

"You said that already!" Rosa cuts him off. "Sorry about your beauty sleep, but we're headed to the Outlook. C'mon!"

Just like that, she's off, and as Hugh chases the pajama-clad girl through the streets of Aspertia, he contemplates telling her about his distinct lack of said beauty sleep. He decides it's a terrible idea almost immediately—come on, seriously? "Hey Rosa, sorry to ruin the mood, but I've been having these slightly freaky nightmares that may or may not involve you getting his by Black Kyurem's Glaciate and turned into a frozen statue-"

"Okay, we're here!" Rosa abruptly skids to a halt, and the cobalt-haired teen backpedals rapidly to avoid slamming into her and possibly injuring both of them. "Ta-daa! The utterly absolutely bestest cure for sleeplessness in the entire actual Unova!"

"The utterly..." Hugh begins to question the name given to whatever it is Rosa wants him to see (and while they're on the subject, how did she know he wasn't sleeping at night?) but the words slip away as he catches sight of the sky. "...wow."

* * *

It's a clear and cloudless winter night, perfect for gazing at the stars. But the stars aren't the main focus tonight, despite the fact that they've scattered themselves across the sky rather noticeably. Instead, it's the meteors, painting themselves across the canvassed cosmos in vibrant streaks and looking for all the world like multicolored shooting stars.

"Pretty, right?" Rosa is staring up at the meteor shower with an expression of pure awe, flashes of light occasionally illuminating her face. I couldn't sleep, so I came out here, and then I saw the beginning of a meteor shower and thought maybe you couldn't sleep either."

Stunned by his friend's perceptiveness, Hugh turns to face her. "How did you know?"

"I get the nightmares too," says Rosa, meeting his crimson gaze with exhausted cerulean eyes. "The ones of a frozen-over Unova and Ghetsis's success and separation of Pokémon from people, permanently, but the worst ones of all are the ones where N doesn't get there in time to stop the Glaciate but it's not me in front of that ice, it's _you—_" She chokes back a sob, and as Hugh catches her in an awkward hug he sees the unshed tears lingering in her eyes.

"It's going to be okay," whispers the blunette, and as he says it, he knows it's true. Maybe not today or right now, but they will be okay, because they're both here and Ghetsis has failed and Unova still comes to life for all four of the seasons, not the eternal frozen winter, and if they look hard enough at the sky sometimes they'll see the shadow of one of the two giant dragons and their Trainers, crisscrossing Unova as its resident guardians.

"Thank you," whispers Rosa into his shoulder. "Sorry about your jacket," she adds, referencing the giant tear blotch on the red-and-white windbreaker.

Hugh chuckles and shakes his head at her.

* * *

They link hands and watch the meteors, and no more words are exchanged because none are needed.

* * *

-Fin.


End file.
